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Thursday, July 21, 2011

Kid Clips for Road Trips

No, it's not a tongue twister. It's just an idea I had for our recent trip that I thought some of you might like. Just file this under "Projects to do with those scrapbook supplies since I'm so far behind on scrapbooking I'll never catch up".

I call these Kid Clips. And they worked like little charms for us.

First of all, I should explain that we operate on the "Sweets for the Sweet" Philosophy in our house. That simply means that desserts & special treats are reserved for those who are kind & sweet. My kids know that if they say something ugly or mean to their brother or sister (or to their parents), they won't be getting dessert that day, including sodas or slushies, should we pass a Sonic at Happy Hour. And trust me, they do not like unhappy Happy Hours. Yes, even my older kids have to follow this plan & it definitely works.

So, with a few stickers & scraps of paper, I made these little clips for my visor as a constant reminder of who was doing a good job in the kindness department.

The rule was simple: as long as they were doing well, the clip stayed up. But, if anyone made a bad choice & decided to be ugly or whiny, their clip came down. And if the clip came down, they would miss out on the next fun thing, whether it be a pack of gum at the next gas stop, an ice cream cone, getting to choose the next movie or having extra time on the iPad.

The amazing thing was, every clip stayed up the entire 16 hours of our trip up there. Trust me--I was impressed. The way back was just a little less blissful, but only one time did I have to remove a clip. I won't mention who that was, but she's short & her name ends in "a". She did not like seeing her clip come down, so she worked hard & got it back up there pretty quickly.

These clips worked so well for us, I think I may just keep them up there. Do you have any more road trips planned for the summer? What kinds of tips do you have for keeping the peace?

What an awesome idea!!! Thanks for passing it on :) We do books on tape. . .it seems that as long as there is a story going everyone (4 kiddos, 7 yrs - 12 yrs) seem content to leave one another alone. . .

LOVE THIS IDEA!!! Am a (divorced) single mom of two little boys and have been looking for a simple behavior management tool that is also portable for when we are in the car, on road trips, at the store, etc. and THIS is perfect! I can even send these with the kids when they visit grandparents and maybe even when they are with their father.

I LOVE this idea! I am going to my closet and getting my scrapbook supplies out right this second. I have four kids and this is such a great idea for when we go on vacation. Thanks so much for sharing!

Love the clips and cute for occasional use but you don't want to do too much tying sugarry foods to good behavior. It really can result in growing adults that turn to food to try to get over despair, disappointment, heart break etc. Better to have the rewards be:we'll all take a walkI'll read to you from a great bookWe'll turn on the music and danceWe'll pour bubbles in the bath tonightetc.

Genius idea! Great for everyday errands and long road trips! I love that the rewards can be an edible treat or other things you suggested like picking the next movie, extra ipod time, choosing the restaurant for dinner, etc.

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About Me

Here are some thoughts about my blissfully ordinary life as a wife to the man of my dreams and mom to 4 great little imperfect people...and any other random thing that may come to mind. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for the countless ways He's blessed me throughout my life. He's the most important Person you'll ever meet & if you don't know Him, please let me be the one to introduce you to Him!